Could someone help a clueless newbie?

[Vicious Love]

FallenBishop said:

Do all of them?

Nope. Only the Stargazer. Take care of him, and he'll get much, much more than summoning skill 8. The simplest way of doing so is giving him a few astral pearls and scripting him to cast Returning. I'm not sure whether or not this is considered cheap; if you're reluctant to use this sort of tactic, feel free to give him a bunch of gems, protective items, and a few Greater Otherness bodyguards, instead. He's worth it.

I'm beginning to notice. What would be a good starter, preferably with a wide magic range to choose from?

Arcoscephale, Jotunheim(particularly Niefelheim), Pythium, Broken Empire Ermor and, in single-player only, T'ien Ch'i. There are other nations and themes that are more accessible than R'lyeh and can tap various schools of magic, but most of them work best with specialized strategies.